Let’s talk about stress.
It isn’t just something you feel.
It’s not just that anxious feeling and tightness in your
chest.
When new members join Adaptive Strength (formerly Box33) we ask them to complete our Health & Fitness questionnaire. This questionnaire has a whole section about stress.
Why is this important and relevant to exercise and losing weight?
When you’re stressed your body releases stress hormones.
Cortisol, for example.
When most people think of stress they only think about work and relationships as the culprits of stress.
But there are a myriad of events, circumstances and conditions which can cause stress.
Are you in pain? This can cause stress.
Are you not getting enough sleep? This can cause stress.
Are you breathing into your chest and not into diaphragm? This can cause stress.
Are you doing High Intensity exercise and training to extreme? This can cause stress.
Are you cutting your calories with extreme diets? This can cause stress and can trigger the release of stress hormones too.
But so what?
So what if you have got stress hormones kicking about your body 24/7?
Well they can curb fat loss for one.
And this is a big issue if you want to lose weight.
The stress hormone cortisol can actually increase your body
fat storage and if you’re stressed out all day long that’s not a good thing.
So even if you’re training…
And even if you’ve got your diet dialed in, stress could
be holding you back.
It’s well worth thinking about.
So what can you do about it?
Well take time to de-stress.
Take time out to breath correctly like crocodile breathing.
Try to mediate.
Do something that stops your thinking too much.
Do something that slows you down for a second.
Many of our stressed out clients say that Adaptive Strength (formerly Box33) is the outlet they needed. A place to forget everyday troubles and be mindful… present in the moment and slow down. They leave the sessions feels energetic and optimistic.
Remind yourself that this game; this life isn’t a rehearsal and you only get one shot to ENJOY it in all its glory.
So get out there and have some fun.
Lower your stress levels, lose some weight and live a little.
